


Of Idols and Daemons

by Eccentric_Musician16



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, K-pop, VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, Daemons, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-07-25 14:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7536367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccentric_Musician16/pseuds/Eccentric_Musician16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys muddle about their idol lives. Only this time they have a few extra paws (and feathers) at their sides.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Short 1 - An Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so I got hit by this particular fic idea a while back and it refused to let me go. I promise I'm still working on the rock ur body story, but I really wanted to get this out before the motivation for it got away!
> 
> For those whose aren't familiar with the His Dark Materials books or the Golden Compass movie, daemons are essentially physical representations of a person's soul that take on the form of an animal. It's sort of like having one person split between two bodies. A person's daemon constantly changes shape throughout childhood and doesn't gain a permanent form (called settling) until their personality and identity solidifies. This happens usually around puberty.
> 
> Touching another person's daemon is considered the highest taboo. However there are a few exceptions to the rule, such as lovers or other extremely close relationships.
> 
> On that note, I hope you enjoy!

Whenever Hakyeon thought back to the circumstances surrounding Jindallae’s settling he could never escape the sweet nostalgia that those memories brought about.

It was something that had been a long time coming, and while he hadn’t expected for it to come to a head on the night of a national dance competition, he certainly wasn’t one to complain.

He had just finished his performance, yanking off the black blindfold to the crowd’s roaring cheers, still riding on the adrenaline high of a performance well done, when he heard a commotion from offstage.

The crowd screamed in shock as a large gray blur darted across the stage and leapt at Hakyeon, knocking him flat on his back.

“What the hell?” he mumbled, taking a few seconds to gather his bearings. Once the world stopped spinning, he registered the two gray-blue eyes looking down at him. 

Hakyeon bolted up, pushing himself back to get a good look at the form before him.

“Dallae?” he breathed. Somehow, he knew. He knew that this was it. This was Jindallae; this was the form his beloved daemon was meant to take.

“Hello, Hakyeon” she said, voice rich and honey warm. She gently licked his cheek, Hakyeon uselessly tried to hold back his giggles at the ticklish sensation of her sand-papery tongue. 

“So?” she prodded lightheartedly, sitting back on her haunches and puffing out her chest. Her tail curled around her, expectantly waited for Hakyeon’s appraisal. “What do you think?”

He took in the massive paws, the dusky gray coat covered in pitch-black splotches, almost like little clouds were dotting her fur. It shimmered under the bright stage lights with every small movement of her powerful form. His eyes ran over the long tail, her shining eyes, and her long whiskers.

Hakyeon’s breath hitched, she was absolutely gorgeous.

He pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her neck as she rested her head on his shoulder, one large paw to pulling him closer. The crowd was cheering and shouting their congratulations from behind him, but it was all white noise to Hakyeon. All he cared about was how lucky he was to have Jindallae as his other half.

“Just as wonderful as always,” he said, nuzzling into her fur. He smiled at the deep purrs that reverberated through her. “Except now the whole world will know it too.”

She giggled, tightening her hold on him. “Such a dramatic one, my Yeonnie.” Her words were teasingly exasperated, but they were said with tenderness. 

“Hush and let me enjoy the moment,” he sighed; the warmth and softness of their bond making him feel almost drunk with giddiness.

Upon returning home, Hakyeon immediately set out to find more about Jindallae’s new form. It only took a few minutes of searching to find it, and what he saw left him feeling even more viciously amused than before. He couldn’t help the smirk that stretched across his face as took in the irony of it all.

It should have surprised him that Jindallae – playful and affectionate Jindallae, who still snuggled up to his mother’s daemon like a newborn cub – finally settled as a snow leopard, a daemon form that was infamously known for being standoffish and cold, even intimidating.

It didn’t.

His daemon had always had a wicked, maybe even questionable, sense of humor. This was just another example of it. 

Hakyeon huffed, looking over to the snow leopard as she sprawled out across his bed. A spark of annoyance arose as he realized she was hogging all of the covers. “You’re something else, you know?” he said.

The deep, knowing laughter that filtered through his senses let Hakyeon know that, yes, she did know and she enjoyed every second of it.

 

+++++

 

Moojigae’s settling, Taekwoon recalled, was a much quieter affair. There wasn’t any big event or fanfare. It had simply just, well, happened.

Taekwoon had been at home, recovering from an unfortunate soccer accident that had left him confined to bed, and he had taken up composing to help pass the time. It had originally started as a method to cure his boredom, but he soon realized that there was something about the poetry of the lyrics and melodies that he found appealing.

He would loose himself in his compositions. Content to spend hours upon hours quietly crafting his pieces. Endlessly tweaking them until they were as perfect as they could be.

Moojigae aided him, shifting into various songbirds and happily lending her voice to his work. She was a natural, picking up on all the subtle nuances and details of his compositions, sometimes adding in her own thoughts and suggestions.

It was such a fulfilling process, so vastly different from the feelings he experienced while playing soccer. But he loved it, reveled in it even, and he could tell that Moojigae loved it just as much, if the constant state of happiness and excitement that settled in the back of his mind was anything to go by.

In the end, Taekwoon couldn’t say he was overly surprised at the feeling of rightness that flooded his being when she finally settled as a little blue jay one afternoon.

“I’m so small though,” she said, looking at her reflection in the window. She hopped along the windowsill, eyes calculating as she scrutinized her now permanent form from every possible angle. “And look at my feathers. They’re not as bright as most blue jays. I have more gray than blue,” she muttered, the disappointment in her tone was apparent.

Taekwoon just shrugged. “You’re special. I think your feathers are lovely. And you sing a lot better than any blue jay I’ve ever heard.”

Moojigae fluttered off the windowsill, gently landing on his outstretched arm. She looked him straight in the eye, feathers ruffling in her nervousness. “You think so?” she asked, voice weak with uncertainty.

He smiled, a soft smile that was solely reserved for her, and ran over her wings with careful fingers, marveling at their softness. “I know so,” he said.

 

+++++

 

Jaehwan always joked that Hongsoo’s settling had been a surprisingly mundane occurrence, given how wild and generally _loud_ the pair tended to be.

Then again, it wasn’t every day your daemon settled just so you could one up your older siblings. So, maybe he really didn’t have the right to speak.

For the past few weeks, Jaehwan’s older brothers had been needling him about what form Hongsoo would finally settle as. Being the only person in the family to have an unsettled daemon, they were more than a little impatient for it to happen.

They had even started making bets, the jerks.

Jaehwan sighed, burying his face into his pillow. He loved his brothers and he knew they meant well, but there were some days where he was tempted to push them off the nearest cliff.

“Please don’t do that,” Hongsoo murmured. The small monkey tugged at his bangs, trying to stop Jaehwan from possibly suffocating himself. “I’d rather not get sent to jail for third degree murder, thank you very much.”

There was a quiet, thoughtful pause. “But what if I made it look like an accident?”

“Jaehwan, no.”

The boy released frustrated sigh. “Why must you spoil my fun?” He pushed himself up, gracelessly flopping back down on his back. Hongsoo climbed onto his chest, little hands clutching at his sleep shirt as he looked down at Jaehwan.

“Come on Jae, it can’t be that bad.”

“Hongsoo, this past week alone they’ve bet on you settling as a yappy Chihuahua, an earthworm, a fly, one of those nocturnal monkeys with big eyes – which, I might add are a little bit terrifying and I’m convinced they’re some sort of demon hell spawn – a hyperactive beagle with the attention span of a mosquito, and an actual mosquito.” 

Hongsoo blinked. “Ok, they’re that bad. But they’re still your bros.” The monkey leaned down so they were nose to nose. “As tempting as it is, voluntary fratricide doesn’t look good in court and I refuse to let you throw away your dream of being the greatest singer to grace the South Korean music industry.”

There was a moment of silence before Jaehwan replied. “Why do you make me sound so corny? I have never once said that.”

“Ok fine, whatever. Way to kill the mood.” Hongsoo placed both his hands on Jaehwan’s cheeks, squishing them together. “But the point is: focus on the singing and less on the settling, it’ll work itself out eventually. Show your brothers what for!”

“Yeah!” Jaehwan said. He jerked up, causing the monkey screech in surprise as he was flung off Jaehwan and over the side of the bed. “Just you wait. I’m going to show the world what I can do and then-“

Jaehwan cut himself off. He was overwhelmed by a sudden electric, tingly feeling coursing through him, similar to that of touching a metal doorknob after walking along a carpet. He moved to the side of the bed, slowly peering over the side to look at his daemon. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Hongsoo was bigger and much longer than before, his fur a dark mahogany brown that lightened to a creamy white around he face and stomach. His whiskers twitched and his thick tail thumped against the floor as he tried to right himself from his fall. Two brown eyes and a twitchy nose set in a round little face, looked up at him with trepidation.

Jaehwan inhaled raggedly. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen.

“What did you do that for?” Hongsoo’s sharp teeth peaked out with every word. “Your floor isn’t exactly the softest thing to land on.”

“Oh my god,” he whispered, ignoring the incensed daemon. He leaned down to carefully pick him up, holding him under his forearms as he stared, long and hard.

“What? Cat got your tongue?”

“It’s not a cat I’m looking at.”

Hongsoo looked down at himself, eyes wide as he took in his form. He looked back at Jaehwan, eyes mirroring his human’s shock. “I’m,” he paused. “I’m definitely not a mosquito.”

A quick Internet search later reveled that Hongsoo had settled as an otter. But not just any otter: a sea otter.

“Kind of ironic though,” the little daemon mused, “I mean with the fact that I’m a marine mammal and your lack of swimming ability and all.”

“Soo, I’m currently basking in the knowledge that I get to one up my brothers at dinner tonight. Let me savor this ok?”

 

+++++

 

Looking back, Wonshik figured he shouldn’t have been so surprised about the circumstances surrounding Cheol’s settling. After all, he was the single biggest sucker for his baby sister.

It had been just after receiving his notice of acceptance into Jellyfish. He was beyond ecstatic at such an opportunity. All his efforts were finally starting to pay off and he couldn’t wait to get started.

But he also knew it was going to hard, so very hard, to be away from his family. He was going to miss his parents and his beloved little sister so much Wonshik was sure he would physically ache with it.

Still, he wanted this. Wanted this like nothing he ever had before. He had dreamed of composing and producing his own music for so very long. And finally, everything was at his fingertips.

By the time he had finished double-checking (triple, even quadruple checking) that all his things were in order, it was well past midnight. He collapsed onto his bed, taking in its familiar comfort as he stared up at the ceiling.

“We’re finally doing it buddy,” he said. “We’re gonna be huge.”

Cheol looked up from where he was curled on Wonshik’s pillow. The doberman leaned over his human’s head, glaring drowsily down at him.

“Go to sleep, Wonshik. I’m saying this as both your friend and your daemon.”

“Really Cheol? Where’s the excitement? We’re talking ‘dreams actually can come true’ kind of stuff here.”

The canine woofed softly, head dropping down onto his front paws. “Shik, you’re exhausted. _I’m_ exhausted. I have no patience for your mushy princess movie babble at-,” he glanced at the clock, “half past two in morning. Sleep or I’ll make you sleep.”

“Fine, killjoy. Just don’t smother me again.”

“With the way you snore, I make no promises.”

“Says the furry chainsaw.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a quiet knock on Wonshik’s bedroom door. A small, trembling voice was calling for him.

Instantly recognizing it, Wonshik leaped off the bed, legs tangling in the sheets in his haste. He yanked the door open, quickly ushering his little sister’s hunched form inside.

“Jiwon-ah, what’s wrong?” he questioned, utterly failing to hold back his panic.

She looked up at her brother with teary eyes, desperately clutching her daemon, a small fluff ball of a puppy. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a wet sob. Her daemon whimpered miserably.

Wonshik instantly tugged her close; one arm around her waist while the other was soothingly rubbing her back. He wrapped around her like a human shield, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Ok,” he said, “Just let it out Jiwonnie. Let it all out.”

As he spoke, he carefully nudged her towards his bed, never once releasing her from his embrace. Wonshik felt the mattress shift as Cheol moved closer to them, his large body protectively curling around the siblings.

Wonshik leaned back against him, pillowing his and Jiwon’s heads on the warm, soft fur of his back. He closed his eyes at the contact, allowing the chaotic mess of Jiwon’s emotions to filter through his senses.

He had an idea as to why his sister was so beside herself now and he couldn’t help the fond hum that escaped him.

“You silly thing,” he lovingly whispered, smoothing her hair as she sobbed into his neck. “Of course I’m going to miss you.” His voice thickened, holding back his the urge to cry along with her. “I love you too much not to.”

They stayed like that, wrapped up in each for a long while. How long Wonshik wasn’t sure, but the slow rumble of his voice and Cheol’s added warmth gradually soothed her.

Her harsh sobs tapered off into little whimpers and then occasional sniffles. Soon enough, the emotional exhaustion pulled Jiwon and her daemon into a heavy sleep.

Not having the heart to wake her, Wonshik resigned himself to being Jiwon’s living teddy bear and shifted to rest more comfortably against Cheol. It was only at that moment that he noticed something had changed about his daemon.

For one, he was much, much bigger than before and he seemed heavier as well. But still, something about this form just felt so unbearably right.

Wonshik leaned further back to catch his daemons eye, “so this is it, huh?”

Cheol twisted, resting his big, furry head on Wonshik’s stomach as his tail made dull thumping sounds against the mattress.

“Took you long enough to notice,” he teased. “But yeah, this is me. Looks like you’ll be a cool, tough rapper with an equally cool, tough guard dog daemon.”

Wonshik gave him a flat look. “Cheol, do you actually know what you are?”

“I’m an enormous, and therefore freakishly strong, attack dog. What more do I need to know?”

Wonshik laughed, scratching behind his daemon’s ear with his free hand. His other arm was still tenderly clutching his baby sister, making sure she remained safely tucked into his side.

“Buddy, let me tell you a thing or two about St. Bernard’s.”

 

+++++

 

Sanghyuk hummed thoughtfully, suppressing a tired yawn as he did so. His arms wrapped themselves around his pillow, pulling it closer so he could prop his head on it. “So, all your daemons settled before you got into the company?” 

“That’s right” Jaehwan said. He was lying on his stomach, head resting on his own pillow. Hongsoo was dozing off, curled up on his back. “Well, everyone except Binnie anyway. As you know, he’s a bit of a late bloomer.”

A scoff came from his left, causing Sanghyuk to look over at Hongbin. 

They were currently all in the living room, Hakyeon having promptly announced that a ‘bonding-time sleep over’ was more than overdue. Thus why there were currently six mattresses –complete with pillows, bed sheets and all – laid in a tight circle around a pile of thick blankets. They each took to their own bed, lazing around and winding down from a day packed with schedules. 

Hongbin was on his mattress, blanket across his shoulders like an oversized cape. His daemon was curled up in his lap, having taken the form of a small fennec fox. He was absentmindedly smoothing out his fur, repeatedly dragging his hand down from head to tail. The fox’s ears flattened, making little noises of satisfaction.

“Since we’re on that topic,” Jaehwan asked, “how has the whole settling thing been working out Chungdoon?”

The fox hummed. “Nothing yet. It’ll come on its own time I guess.” He reached up, affectionately nosing at Hongbin’s chin, making him giggle at the sensation. “But it’ll come soon. I’m sure of it.”

“Well, you know we’re all rooting for you Doonie,” Wonshik piped up from his cocoon of blankets. Cheol was curled up in the blankets in front of Wonshik and woofed softly.

Chungdoon beamed, pushing out of Hongbin’s hold and bounding over to the next mattress to cuddle up to Wonshik. The rapper gently scratched behind the fox’s long ears and both Chungdoon and Hongbin let out soft, contented sighs.

Sanghyuk watched in drowsy fascination, a little part of him still amazed at how comfortable they’d all grown with each other.

It was perfectly normal for any of their daemons to seek out the other members for attention, be it to have a conversation or just yearning for the comfort of physical contact. Sanghyuk laughed silently, most people would have balked at the mere thought of touching another person’s daemon. But for them, it was such a natural thing to do; it would have been weird any other way.

He’d held entire debates with Hongsoo about the latest anime episodes they’d seen and curled up against Cheol or Jindallae on days where the homesickness was overwhelming. Heck, he’d even gone about the dorm with Moojigae happily nestled in his hair a few times. And that was only what he could be bothered to recall at the moment.

But, despite the strange glances people would throw their way, it couldn’t have been _that_ weird. He knew families were laxer about human and daemon interactions. Being particularly tactile between family members was normal, and, if Sanghyuk could say so, they’d all spent so much time with each other that they were practically a family by this point.

Or, something like that anyway. Sanghyuk sighed, he was too tired and sleep deprived for this mushy stuff.

He groaned as he felt his daemon’s amusement filter through his head. Haebit practically lived to mock him and there was no way she was going to let his less than successful attempt at being philosophical go by unnoticed.

“Don’t even,” he whispered into the crook of his elbow. He could perfectly envision her smirk.

“-ny luck?”

Sanghyuk blinked in surprise. He had completely tuned out from the conversation. “Huh, what?”

On the second mattress to his right, Hakyeon rolled his eyes. Jindallae lay in front of him, her fluffy tail lazily swishing back and forth. “Taekwoon,” he motioned to the quiet man in between them, “was asking if Haebit has had any luck.”

At the sound of her name, the daemon looked up from her spot in front of Sanghyuk’s mattress. She had taken the form of a fawn; her big mahogany-brown eyes stared up at Hakyeon and Taekwoon in interest. She quickly glanced back at Sanghyuk, a question in her eyes. He shrugged, gently beckoning her to go on.

The fawn cocked her head, looking back to the elders. She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “Not… really?” she said, hesitantly. “I do kinda hope it comes soon though.”

Taekwoon and Hakyeon exchanged looks. “Why’s that?” Hakyeon asked her.

“I’ve been hearing some things from the staff’s daemons. According to them, some of the higher ups have been trying to convince CEO Hwang to approve of something that will supposedly help me and Doonie settle.” 

Haebit’s ear flicked in agitation, Sanghyuk could feel her frustration simmer into their bond. “I don’t know what it is. No one seems keen on explaining when I ask, they always look really freaked out when I bring it up.”

She saw the way Hakyeon and Taekwoon’s eyes had gone wide. “See? Just like that,” she frowned.

Sanghyuk looked to the others and saw that Hongbin, Jaehwan, and Wonshik’s expressions mirrored the two oldest, their daemons looking no different. Their sudden alarm was enough to wake him up from his lethargic state. He audibly swallowed. “Uh. Are you guys ok? Is…is this something I sh-“

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Sanghyuk-ah,” Taekwoon said harshly. 

Sanghyuk suppressed a startled flinch, trying to pass it off as a sudden chill as he wrapped the blankets tighter around him. Haebit wasn’t nearly as collected. Her ears flattened and her head pulled back, eyes round and dewy.

Moojigae immediately fluttered off Taekwoon’s mattress and softly landed on the small fawn’s back, carefully settling into her spotted fur. Sanghyuk could feel the annoyance from the blue jay, further emphasized by the scolding look she sent her human.

Taekwoon had the grace to look a little contrite. He leaned over, extending his hand to lightly knead behind Haebit’s ear. Both the fawn and her human closed their eyes at the sensation, understanding the silent apology in the elder’s actions.

“Taekwoon’s right though,” Sanghyuk heard Hakyeon say. “Don’t worry about it Hyukkie. You just let your hyungs take care of it. Ok?”

“Yeah,” Jaehwan said. “In fact, just forget the last few minutes even happened.”

Sanghyuk hummed, too lost in the warm contentment that was flooding his exhausted mind to verbally answer.

Taekwoon couldn’t help the small smile as he watched the pair. Haebit was completely leaning into his hand, a few moments away from falling asleep, while Sanghyuk was fully resting on his pillow, looking just as dazed as his daemon.

Sanghyuk sighed into his pillow. “Trying to knock me out to avoid the conversation is a little silly, don’t you think?”

“Maybe,” Jindallae said, amused. “But it’s working, isn’t it?”

Sanghyuk cracked an eye open. “You all suck,” he mumbled. “Taking advantage of your maknae like this.”

Hongbin chuckled, “it’s not our fault your daemon is a sucker for cuddles.” He made a little motion with his head and Chungdoon quickly padded over to curl up behind Haebit, shifting into the form of a tabby cat. Taekwoon carefully lowered her head onto his back and he immediately began purring.

“Doon you traitor,” Haebit slurred, “I thought I could trust you.”

“All’s fair in love and war, Hae.”

“But this isn’t love or war.”

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

She made a little noise of rebellion, but the fawn was fighting a loosing battle. Between the soothing rumble of Chungdoon’s purring and the added heat from Moojigae’s downy feathers, Haebit quickly fell into the clutches of sleep.

With an audible exhale Sanghyuk followed. Still, he did his best to fight against the heaviness clouding his senses, keeping himself just of the border of true sleep. He could make out a few mumbled words from the other members.

“Can’t…be serious…”

“What else….it be?”

“….worry…won’t go through…Hwang’s not like that….won’t stand for it”

“He better…the last time…girl and her daemon…they were severed hyung… _severed_ …”

“Easy Bin…you and Hyukkie…we won’t….that happen.”

“But what if…could force us…then what…?”

“Over my dead body…we won’t let it come to…I promise you.”

“…Really?”

“I promise.”

There was a moment of silence before he felt gentle fingers running through his hair. The rhythmic sensation finally pushed him over the edge and Sanghyuk knew no more.

 

+++++

 

It was a few weeks later, when they were all in the van and on their way to their latest schedule, that Haebit, now as a small terrier curled up on Sanghyuk’s lap, spoke up.

“Hey, so whatever happened to that thing the higher ups were talking about? I haven’t heard anyone mention it since that one night.”

The older members and their daemons shared knowing glances before looking back at the canine.

Hakyeon gave her a beaming smile. “Like I said,” he replied knowingly, “it was taken care of.”


	2. Short 2 - The Story of Love Equation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongbin and Sanghyuk love their daemons, even if they haven't quite settled yet. The rest of the world, on the other hand, is another matter on its own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after finally planning out the path for this fic, we're back with another installment! Hopefully having it outlined will make writing it a bit more streamlined and I can try to stick to a once a week update schedule. No promises on that though; life has a way of rearing its ugly head when I least expect it.
> 
> Also, thanks so much for all the kind words you guys! You're all honestly too good to me!

“Hakyeon, Taekwoon, the director is starting the individual shoots. You two are up first!”

Sanghyuk looked up from his phone, startled at the sudden shout. Haebit raised her head from his lap, growling. He immediately began scratching beneath her chin to calm her.

They were on the set of the photo shoot for their upcoming album: an old two-story home in a quiet neighborhood a few hours outside of Seoul. The staff had scouted the area a few weeks prior, claiming that the simple, clean-cut style of the house would add to the album’s retro theme.

Sanghyuk had to admit, despite having been emptied out years before; the house still gave off an oddly welcoming feel. The combination of white walls and dark wood floors were reminiscent of many homes he’d seen in his childhood and the large windows – admittedly his favorite thing about the building – practically pulled the sun’s rays inside.

It created such an aura of calm and serenity that Sanghyuk was hesitant to move from his spot: a foam pad pushed against the wall underneath one of the windows. He secretly hoped that the others would take a while with their shoots so he could soak up the atmosphere as much as possible.

Haebit seconded his motion by resting her head back on his thigh, heaving a sigh as the sun’s warm rays fell across her back.

The pair watched Hakyeon, Taekwoon, and their daemons quickly file out of the bedroom they had repurposed into a makeshift break room. Sanghyuk dropped his phone to his side, closing his eyes and leaning back into the wall behind him.

“So, time for them to go play model again huh?” Haebit asked.

“Yep,” he replied.

They both fell quiet, enjoying the peace and tranquility.

Sanghyuk was brought back to attention when the pad beneath him shifted slightly. He heard a small thump as a large weight dropped down beside him. He opened an eye out of curiosity.

It was Hongbin, having slid down the wall to sit beside him.

Sanghyuk turned to him, taking notice of a rather odd, but entertaining detail about his older friend.

“Nice choker you got there,” he chuckled, reaching for the collar of Hongbin’s denim jacket, tugging it down to get a better look.

Hongbin smiled, shrugging as he did so. “Doon felt like changing it up a bit,” he said. 

Chungdoon had shifted into the form of a snake and was loosely coiled around Hongbin’s neck. What exact species he had chosen, Sanghyuk didn’t know, but it was gorgeous. His top scales were a dark navy blue; they slowly faded into a crisp white at his underbelly.

Sanghyuk couldn’t help feeling amused; of course Chungdoon would not only find a form with his human’s favorite colors in mind, but also match what he was wearing.

Haebit poked up from her resting spot, wanting to see Chungdoon’s form for herself. She jumped onto Sanghyuk’s lap, resting her front paws on his chest as she leaned towards Hongbin. Sanghyuk placed a steadying hand on her back.

“Wow,” she said, eyes wide. “Doonie you look so pretty!”

Sanghyuk had never though that a snake could look bashful, but Chungoon had somehow found a way. He gave an embarrassed hiss, hiding his face in Hongbin’s pink curls.

“Hyukkie! Hyukkie he’s so cool,” she panted. Her nose and ears erratically twitched in her excitement: tail wagging a mile a minute. “Can I try it too? Please, please, please?” She looked between both boys, giving them her best cute wide-eyed look.

“If Hongbin-hyung doesn’t mind, then sure,” Sanghyuk said, ruffling the fur on her head.

Hongbin looked down, giving her a beaming smile, dimples and all. As he went to answer, something in his peripheral vision caught his attention.

There was a small cluster of staff members standing just outside the room. Maybe he was being paranoid, but something about the way they were whispering and throwing little glances at them was more than a little disconcerting.

Hongbin forced his smile to stay in place, not wanting to ruin his little friend’s good mood. “Uh, s-sure! I mean if you want to.”

He couldn’t stop the flash of worry at the way her expression morphed to utter confusion. No doubt she had felt the sudden change in his demeanor.

“Hongbin?” she mumbled, nosing at his shoulder. “Binnie, what’s wrong?”

Before Hongbin could say anything, Chungdoon’s tail carefully uncurled from his neck and lightly swatted at her.

“Never mind him, you know how brainless and stupid he gets with only three hours of sleep.” Hongbin made a little noise of offense, which was bluntly disregarded. “You do your thing.”

Sanghyuk cautiously glanced in the direction Hongbin had been looking, confused at what had caused such a drastic mood change. When he caught sight of what Hongbin had seen he looked back, a sad understanding in his eyes.

“Yeah, come on Hae,” Sanghyuk said, making his voice as cheery as possible. He refused to let his own soured mood seep into their bond. “Show me what you can come up with. Impress me.”

That did the trick. Haebit huffed at the challenge in his voice, fur ruffling and ears flopping in anticipation. “You’re on,” she said.

With that, she shifted into a little butterfly and flittered up to Sanghyuk’s neck. He squirmed at the ticklish sensation of her wings brushing against the sensitive skin. Smooth scales replaced it as she shifted, wrapping the end of her tail loosely around his neck as she draped herself across his shoulders.

Hongbin whistled in appreciation. “I don’t know about you Hyukkie, but I’m certainly impressed.”

Sanghyuk smiled, taking in the yellow, black, and red bands of color adorning her body.

She lifted her head, an eager look her eyes. “Well?”

He brought his hand to neck, fingertips ghosting over her new shape. She’d never taken a reptilian form before. It was quite a sight to see.

“You’re very pretty, Heabit.”

She made an unenthusiastic noise. “Of course I am. Tell me something I don’t know.”

He gave her a flat look. “Did I say ‘pretty’? I meant incredibly vain.”

She snorted. “You confuse vanity with self-confidence.”

“I repeat, incredibly vain.” He smirked at her unimpressed expression.

“Sanghyuk, I will not hesitate to bite you.”

“Please don’t. With our luck you shifted into a species that’s actually venomous and I’d rather not get sent to the hospital because my own daemon accidently poisoned us both.”

Haebit glowered at him. “Give me some credit here, I wouldn’t change into anything venomous. Think of the staff. Think of the fans. The children even.”

“Well that’s nice to kno-“

“I just changed into something that mimics venomous snakes.”

Sanghyuk didn’t know how to reply to that, so he just sent her a look. It was on par with the most potent of Hongbin’s Judging Looks.

“Haebit I swear, you’ll be the death of me one day.”

“You love it though. Admit it.”

The sigh Sanghyuk released was fondly long-suffering.

She curled her tail around the collar of his shirt and impatiently tugged at it. “Come on, let’s go find Wonshik and Jaehwan. I want to show them my new look.”

He leaned closer to Hongbin, covering his mouth as if he were sharing a great secret. “Unbelievably vain,” he stage-whispered. Haebit scowled at him.

With that, Sanghyuk took his leave, but not without sending on last subtle glance to the gossiping staff. His eyes narrowed as he stood, watching the small cluster immediately break apart, trying their hardest to look like they hadn’t been chatting about them for the past few minutes. He turned back to Hongbin, giving him a quick nod before wandering off to the corner where Wonshik and Jaehwan resided.

From Hongbin’s neck, Chungdoon let out a tired hiss. “Always the same song and dance, isn’t it?”

Hongbin patted the snake’s head. “They’ve been whispering behind out backs all day,” he shrugged. “Now, I’m not usually one to care, especially since they seem more like interns to me, which means they’ll be out of our hair soon enough. But the others have been uneasy today. And I have a feeling it has to do with this.”

Chungdoon dipped his head in understanding. “And if they’re anxious-“

“I’m not saying anything will happen,” Hongbin cut in. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry. You know how people get judgey about all of us on a normal day. Add in the fact that you or Hae haven’t settled…”

“…And it’s just double the fun,” the snake sighed. He lifted his head, extending his body so that he could look Hongbin directly in eye. “You be careful too, then. Nothing good will come out of watching out for Hyuk and Heabit if you don’t take care either.”

“Noted,” Hongbin sighed, the action causing his bangs to blow out of his face. He turned away from the doorway, trying to distract himself from the harsh whispers of the staff by watching Wonshik and Jaehwan fawn over Haebit’s form. 

The snake was happily taking in the chin scratches the two members were doling out. Sanghyuk laughed, sarcastically asking if she had somehow confused herself for a dog. 

Haebit retaliated by hissing directly into his ear, causing the brunet to let out a high-pitched shriek. Jaehwan and Wonshik’s booming laughter quickly followed it.

“Hey,” Hongbin said. He waited for Chungdoon’s complete attention. “You know I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world, right?”

Cool scales brushed against his neck as the snake nuzzled his cheek. “Of course.”

“Good.”

 

+++++

 

Never let it be said that music video shooting was a dull affair with VIXX around. The boys were well known for livening up the atmosphere with their antics and today was certainly no different. 

“But you see,” Jaehwan said, voice more serious than Sanghyuk had ever heard before. “The important question here is: is it possible to even shift into such a form?”

Sanghyuk hummed, carefully considering the question. “I’m not sure. Hae?”

“I mean some people do have mythical creatures as daemons. I’ve seen things like dragons here or there during our travels,” Haebit piped up. “So it’s possible, in theory.”

“I see,” Jaehwan replied, crossing his arms in thought. “Haebit, would you be interested in aiding the advancement of human curiosity and scientific research?”

The smirk that crossed her and Sanghyuk’s faces were downright devilish.

 

+++++

 

From across the studio set, Hakyeon felt a shudder travel down his spine.

“Hyung, are you ok?” Wonshik asked from where he and Hongbin were lazing about on the couch. Cheol and Jindallae lay at their feet and Chungdoon, now a robin, was perched on Cheol’s fuzzy head.

“I’m fine,” Hakyeon waved it off. “For some reason I just got the strangest feeling that someone in this group was about to do something stupid.”

Hongbin huffed. “It’s probably just Jaehwan-hyung and Sanghyuk being themselves. I wouldn’t worry.”

“Hongbin-ah, that’s when I worry the most,” he grumbled.

With a roll of her eyes, Jindallae rose from her resting spot beside Cheol and playfully bumped into the side of Hakyeon’s leg. “I’ll go check on them, you worrywart.”

Without waiting for answer, the snow leopard turned and began to leisurely make her way to where Sanghyuk and Jaehwan were doing…something. Hakyeon couldn’t quite make out what from his position, but it eased his mind to know that his daemon would be there to stop anything from potentially getting out of hand.

Hakyeon turned back to Wonshik and Hongbin, expecting some type of smart comment on his rampant ‘mothering’ tendencies. Instead, he saw Hongbin and Chungdoon vehemently focused on Jindallae’s retreating form, a sort of resigned longing in their expressions.

“Bin?” Wonshik asked; leaning over to see what Hongbin seemed so focused on. “Jindallae isn’t that interesting, is she?”

Hongbin sighed. “No, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

“I really wish Doon and I could do that; the separating I mean. It seems pretty useful.”

Wonshik and Hakyeon exchanged glances, not really sure what to say. It was true that both he and Sanghyuk were the only two members that hadn’t yet learned how to separate from their daemons. But there was a very good reason for it.

“Maybe a little, yeah,” Wonshik said softly, hesitantly. “But-“

“You know, very well, why we put it off, “ Taekwoon suddenly cut in, coming up from behind Hakyeon. His demeanor was grave; eyes slightly narrowed. “It’s too dangerous for those whose daemons have yet to settle.”

“I know, I know,” Hongbin mumbled. “Still doesn’t stop me wishing I could”

From Taekwoon’s shoulder, Moojigae made a dubious noise. “Hongbin, trust me. Separation is the single most dreadful thing Woonie and I have ever had the misfortune to experience.”

She ruffled her feathers, no doubt the recollection giving her chills. Taekwoon fidgeted in response to her distress. “Sure, it’s extremely convenient, considering our line of work. But at the moment your doing it, I can guarantee that you’re going to be silently wishing to drop de— mphff!”

The blue jay flailed as a hand was shoved over her beak, muffling her words. She glared at Taekwoon, who stared back at her unrepentantly.

Hongbin’s eyes widened, understanding despite the elder’s attempts. Moojigae was not one to exaggerate, always the type to take great care in choosing her words. Much like her human. “Is it really that bad?”

“Well…if you’re not careful, it can be,” Wonshik said, hesitatingly. “Separating puts a ton of stress on human and daemon, at least until your body get used to it. But at first it’s…”

His brow furrowed, eyes going distant as he recalled his own experience with Cheol, who let out a soft whine in response. “You know that feeling when Doon gets too far away? That burning in your chest?” Hongbin nodded. “Think that, but worse.”

“You,” the younger breathed, remembering all those times Chungdoon had gotten just a little too far away. He shuddered, the sharp, searing pain it caused was something Hongbin would rather forget. “You can’t be serious?”

The other three gave him a look and Hongbin ran a hand though his hair in disbelief. 

Hakyeon made a face. “But, like Wonshik said, we were careful. We had someone making sure we weren’t putting more strain on the bond than need be.” He paused, fingers digging into his temples, needing a moment to collect his thoughts. He needed to choose his words carefully. He didn’t want to frighten Hongbin, but the younger man needed to understand the gravity of what the process of separation entailed.

Of course, it was at that moment that his senses were filled with a sudden rush of intrigue and fond exasperation from Jindallae. Whatever Jaehwan and Sanghyuk were doing, she was certainly amused. 

Hakyeon shook his head, pushing his daemon’s emotions to the back of his mind and refocusing on the conversation at hand. “It didn’t stop it from being painful and there were still risks involved, but we were in the best possible situation considering. Our daemons being settled helped.”

Hongbin blinked. “No wonder none of you ever wanted to talk about it. It sounds terrible.”

Taekwoon shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. It didn’t work. “It’s why most people never bother with it. The only reason we did is because our activities as VIXX called for it. Things are just-”

“-Easier when you don’t need us within a few yards at every moment, “Moojigae finished.

With a sigh, Hongbin held out his hand. Chungdoon immediately hopped off Cheol’s head fluttered onto it. He brought the robin close, his fingers gliding through soft feathers. “Well buddy, we should probably start working on that last will and testament, huh? Between this and what the higher ups have planned I think imminent death is approaching sooner than we thought,” he joked, his trademark dimpled-smile in full view.

His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Don’t joke like that Hongbin,” Wonshik uttered. “You’re gonna be fine.”

Hongbin was about to reply when a piercing scream echoed through the set and made them all jump. Their eyes widened. It was coming from Jaehwan and Sanghyuk’s direction.

Without a moment of hesitation, Hakyeon and Taekwoon rushed to the source, Moojigae flying overhead. It took Wonshik and Hongbin a few seconds to get over the initial shock, but once it passed, they too leapt from the couch followed the two eldest members, their daemons barely a step behind.

Once they actually saw what was happening however, they all abruptly stopped in their tracks.

Sanghyuk and Jaehwan were jumping and screaming like two small toddlers, looking down at the form clutched to Sanghyuk’s chest. Haebit – and it could’ve only been Haebit, there was nothing in the world Sanghyuk would hold with that much care – was smirking back and looking incredibly proud. Hongsoo was running circles around the pair, pawing at Jaehwan’s pants and asking to be picked up so he could see.

“Is?” Hongbin gawked, trying to wrap his head around the sight before him. “Is that a-?”

“Yes,” Chungdoon said from Hongbin’s shoulder, just as baffled as his human. “Yes it is definitely a Pikachu. I cannot believe Haebit just shifted into a Pikachu.” He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Bin, can I try?”

Hongbin choked on his gasp, breaking into a coughing fit.

Taekwoon and Wonshik just looked on in open-mouthed disbelief, their daemons mirroring their expressions. Hakyeon dropped his head into his hands with a whispered, “oh god.”

A heavy form brushed up against his leg and he shifted his fingers to see Jindallae, hilarity practically oozing off her in waves.

“Dallae why?” he moaned. “You said you would check on them.”

“And I did. They weren’t doing anything illegal or potentially life threatening, so I saw no need to intervene,” she replied haughtily, pulling herself to her full height. “Besides, I was curious to see if they could pull it off. You can certainly color me impressed.”

Hakyeon made a noise of despair, muttering about unhelpful daemons that were set on giving him gray hairs as he stepped forward to calm the two younger members down.

But then he saw the way Haebit tucked her head under Sanghyuk’s chin, long ears flat against her head as she snuggled into him. He saw how his boisterous laughter morphed into innocent giggles, the corners of his eyes crinkling from how brightly he was smiling.

He saw how Jaehwan pressed up against the younger’s side, yelling about how he couldn’t believe their crazy idea worked and Haebit was amazing and this opened up so many possibilities, Hongsoo echoing his human’s words with just as much energy.

Hakyeon saw them having the chance to just _be_ – to be silly and ridiculous and young – even if it was only for a little while. And he just didn’t have the heart to spoil their harmless fun. He felt the smugness come off his daemon in waves, making Hakyeon scowl at nothing in particular. 

But of course, something just had to come along spoil the mood anyway. And it came in the form of a choked, utterly horrified gasp.

They all turned to see one of the staff members – she was a younger woman they didn’t recognize, probably one of the newer interns – backed against the wall, shaking and wide-eyed as she clutched her monkey daemon close. She was most likely the source of the god-awful screech that had originally summoned them.

One trembling finger was pointing at Haebit. “W-what i-i-is that – that _thing_?” she demanded.

Sanghyuk’s exuberant smile instantly disappeared. “ _Haebit’s_ not a thing,” he said, ice cold. He felt Jaehwan’s grip tightened on his shoulder.

He was completely ignored. “Get it out of my sight. I refuse to work another second on this set with _that_ running about.” She trained her scathing gaze on Haebit. The little daemon curled in on herself, feebly attempting to hide in Sanghyuk's jacket to escape the utter disgust in the woman’s gaze.

Jaehwan viciously spun on his heel to face her, eyes glinting like steely knives. 

Hakyeon quickly intervened, stepping in between them. He had seen the look on Jaehwan’s face. An angry Jaehwan was not a polite Jaehwan. And right now, if the way Hongsoo hissed at the woman was any indication, he was _livid_.

Hakyeon understood; he felt it too, the sheer rage burning in the pit of his stomach. But he needed to intervene before this grew out of hand, no matter how unfair it was.

“With all due respect,” he said, sharpness to his voice. “I suggest you conduct yourself with the professionalism that is expected of you.”

Her expression cracked for a moment before it settled onto barely veiled disgust, one that was mirrored by her daemon.

“What kind of game are you playing here?” she gritted. “Two of your member’s daemons have yet to settle, even though both are practically adults. What do you think that says about them?”

From the corner of his eye, Hakyeon saw Hongbin and Chungdoon flinch, shame permeating their every feature. Wonshik immediately reached out, delicately grabbing Hongbin’s hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

The woman continued, her long hair spilling down over her shoulder as she pointed an accusing finger at Hakyeon. “It’s unnatural – appalling – that anyone could let such a problem persist for so long. Especially when there are ways they can be fixed.” 

The hurt gasps and stuttered inhales from Hongbin and Sanghyuk made Hakyeon see red, finally pushed him over the edge. His jaw clenched. At his feet, Jindallae let out a vicious growl.

“Sanghyuk and Hongbin have both treated you the entire staff with nothing but kindness. I thought it would be repaid, but I can see I was mistaken.” His entire demeanor was colder and harsher than any snowstorm could ever hope to be. “This behavior is unacceptable, and I assure you that I’ll be sharing my concerns with the director and head of staff. Until then, please do not speak another word to myself or any of my members.”

With that Hakyeon turned and left, not wanting to hear her response. He gestured for the others to follow and they silently complied. When they reached the couch they had been gathered at earlier, Wonshik and Jaehwan immediately pushed their youngest friends onto it.

Without a word, Cheol jumped up and curled around Hongbin’s body, resting his head on the younger’s lap. Hongbin gave a half-hearted smile, appreciating the gesture. He buried his face into the fur of Cheol’s neck, hugging the St. Bernard’s head close; Wonshik flinched at the utter shame and misery that assaulted his mind. Chungdoon shifted into a mouse and hid himself in the collar of Hongbin’s shirt.

“This is on me,” Jaehwan said, fists clenched at his side. “I was the one who suggested it. If I hadn’t insisted on-“

“-No, it’s my fault,” Haebit interrupted. She sat on Sanghyuk’s lap, head bowed, refusing to make eye contact with any of them. “I…I should’ve known better. No, I do know better. I-“

She stopped, looking down at her form and letting out a humorless laugh. Within seconds she changed into a black cat. “My actions reflected badly on the group. I’m sorry, I promise I won’t make the same mistake again in the future.”

“Hae,” Jaehwan started, reaching out for her.

Before he could continue she twisted and buried her face in Sanghyuk’s shirt, ears flat. Sanghyuk said nothing, he simply held her close, acting as a sort of shied, and rested his chin on her head. His eyes were stormy, visibly trying to hold in the whirlwind of emotions.

Jaehwan collapsed onto the arm of the couch, letting out a defeated sigh. He cupped the back of younger’s neck, pulling him into his side and gently squeezed in an attempt at silent comfort. Sanghyuk turned his face into Jaehwan’s shirt, determined to hide his face.

Hongsoo sat at Sanghyuk’s feet, leaning heavily against the side of his leg and looking so very lost.

Hakyeon watched powerlessly, sick to his stomach at the feeling of utter uselessness that was coursing through him. He was their leader; it was his job to make sure his members were ok. Whether it was making sure they got enough rest or keeping their spirits up when things became too much. He was supposed to protect them; make sure that all his boys knew they were loved and supported.

He couldn’t help feeling like he failed them today. Especially Hongbin and Sanghyuk.

Hakyeon startled at the feeling of a large hand resting against his back. He glanced behind him to see Taekwoon looking at him, face stern. “I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered. “You had no control over it Hakyeon.”

“Taekwoon, I could’ve-“

“You. Had. No. Control,” he repeated, lightly shaking Hakyeon’s shoulder. “Right now we need to focus on Hongbinnie and Hyukkie. They’re most important right now.”

Hakyeon stayed silent. He brought his hand up to the one Taekwoon had on his shoulder. After a few moments he said: “they’re going to us this against them.” He tangled their fingers together, tightening his grip as he did so. “They’re going to twist it, make it seem like it was their fault so Hwang will agree to their plans.”

“Probably.” A pause. “But you said it yourself, he would never agree to it. He knows they’re just trying to get their way.” Taekwoon squeezed a little tighter. “Do you want me to come with you later?”

“No,” Hakyeon mumbled, focusing on the younger members before him. “No, I can handle it. Besides, I need you to watch over the kids tonight.”

He committed the scene to memory, no matter how much it broke his heart to do so. 

Because this: Hongbin’s hitched breaths and Sanghyuk’s quivering shoulders, the raw hurt on their daemon’s faces, the misery from Jaehwan and Wonshik at being unable to help, the simmering outrage hidden beneath Taekwoon’s calm façade, this is what he would take with him when he met with Hwang and company board tonight.

This is what he would see when they talked about his boys being broken, like they were simply emotionless toys that needed to be repaired.

He would use this to fight back even harder than before. Because he refused to fail them, not while he still had a breath in his body.

 

+++++

 

It was well past midnight when Hakyeon returned to a completely silent dorm; no doubt the others had already collapsed into their beds.

He slowly closed the door behind him, momentarily leaning his forehead against the cool wood as he released an exhausted sigh. Jindallae was at his side, rubbing against his leg like an overgrown housecat.

“They’re more persistent than before, aren’t they,” his daemon said, more a statement than a question.

Hakyeon answered her anyway, “Yes. At least Hwang and I were able to hold them off until promotions are done.”

“And then they’ll be back in our hair, won’t they?” she growled. “I’m surprised they don’t have cockroaches for daemons. They just keep coming back where they aren’t welcome.”

“Dallae.”

“Don’t ‘Dallae’ me, Yeonnie. These lowlifes are threatening your kids – my cubs – and you know damn well I won’t stand for it.” He heard her tail angrily thwack against the dorm’s wood floor.

“I know.”

“Even Hwang is getting sick of them, and he said it as much earlier. Chungdoon and Haebit don’t need to be ‘fixed.’ They’re perfectly fine the way they are!” Her ears lay flat against her head, teeth bared as she growled. “And how dare they try to use what happened today to backup their claims. _How dare they_.” 

“I know,” he repeated.

“This ‘miracle cure-all’ that they’re pushing; don’t they know how painful it is? How dangerous?” Her voice had risen to whisper-yell, not wanting to wake up any of the members.

“One little slip up, Yeonnie; that’s all it would take. One little slip up and-“ A violent shudder wracked her body, cutting her off.

Hakyeon could feel her misery; it felt like a gaping hole in his heart.

He dropped to the floor, gathering the snow leopard in his arms and burying his face in her fur. “I know Dallae,” he sighed. Any further attempts to comfort her would be meaningless. “I know.”

He felt Jindallae’s body tense, muscles rigid, before melting into his embrace. It was as if the earlier anger had drained her remaining energy. “I’d rather go through separating all over again then have them go through that,” she confessed, pushing her cheek against Hakyeon’s. “Why Hakyeon?” she asked, begging to understand. “Binnie and Hyukkie are barely adults. They’re practically still babies.”

He felt the fur of her cheek dampen. “Why do they want to hurt our babies?”

He didn’t – couldn’t – say anything and just hugged her a little tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first time really writing anything overtly serious, so I hope all the little nuances came across well. Or that it didn't get too dramatic for its own good.
> 
> But yeah, thoughts? Predictions? Questions, maybe? I'm always curious to know!


	3. Short 3 - Feathers of Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between individual schedules, an upcoming comeback, and college graduation exams, Hongbin is feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed. But all his efforts are about to pay off in a way he wasn’t quite expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story lives! *stares into the distance* You guys have no idea just how many times I rewrote this entire freaking storyline, it was awful.

With preparations for their first comeback of the year finally, finally, within the finishing stages, the group could actually have somewhat of a breather before promotions fully kicked in. The lighter schedules usually gave them the chance to mentally and physically prepare themselves for the hectic weeks ahead; basically, giving them time to get their lives together.

Unfortunately for Hongbin and Sanghyuk, the life of college students meant that you never had your life together.

Hongbin nibbled on the end of his pen, staring down at the passage before him with great attention. He skimmed through words he’d read countless times before, doing his best to commit them all to memory. He was the very definition of concentration and focus.

“Hongbin, you’ve be reading the same sentence over and over again for the past 20 minutes,” Chungdoon huffed. The puffin’s feathers ruffled as he settled deeper into his lap, balefully glaring at the notebook balanced on Hongbin’s knees. “Maybe you should call it quits?”

Hongbin hummed distractedly, idly flipping the page of his textbook. “Can’t. Exams start in less than a week.”

He needed to get through this chapter and the next two before their interview tonight. Then he could go through the last two chapters once they were back, maybe pass out for an hour or two, and then start studying for his other class.

Chungdoon eyes narrowed. “Bin, I’m tired. Which, coincidentally, also means you’re tired.”

Hongbin made a noncommittal noise, but didn’t move to acknowledge his daemon any further.

“Hongbin, please.” He pushed at Hongbin’s chin with his beak, considerably more upset. “You barely understand what you’re reading anymore. Give it a rest, it’ll still be there in the morning.”

Hongbin ignored him yet again, though he winced slightly at the burning irritation sweeping through their bond. He went to continue his note writing when Chungdoon, finally at the end of his patience, pecked at his hand.

With a soft cry more out of surprise than pain, Hongbin lost his grip on the pen. The puffin immediately seized the opportunity and snatched it away.

Hongbin frowned. “Hey, give that back.”

“No,” Chungdoon said, voice muffled around the pen in his mouth.

With a long-suffering sigh, Hongbin reached to grab the pen, determined to return to his note taking. However, just as it was within reach, Chungdoon moved his head, and Hongbin’s fingers just missed the pen.

“Doon,” Hongbin rumbled, thoroughly irritated. He went to grab it again, but the puffin repeated his action, quickly tilting his head in the opposite direction.

“Stop it. This isn’t a game.”

The next few minutes devolved into a frantic game of keep away. Every time Hongbin would attempt to grab his pen, Chungdoon would move it away at the last possible second.

“Chungdoon seriously! Give. It. Back.”

The puffin stopped and gave his human a long, even look before slowly placing the pen onto the notebook.

“Thank you. Now I can ju—Chungdoon!”

His deamon suddenly leaped out of his lap and shifted into the form of a seagull, snatched the pen, and flew up above Hongbin’s head. He made sure to stay just out of reach, even with Hongbin standing.

“Chungdoon!” Hongbin growled again, trying to pull him down. “Get down here so I can-“

“Do absolutely nothing,” a voice called from behind him.

Hongbin scowled at a snickering Sanghyuk from over his shoulder.

“Yeah. Laugh it up,” he grumbled. “Shouldn’t you be doing something more productive with your time?” He turned back to Chungdoon, resuming his struggle. “Like – oh, I don’t know, studying for exams maybe?”

Sanghyuk leaned back against the wall, the very picture of laid-back amusement. Haebit sat at his side, shoulders hunched and ears flat against her head. The transparent concern on her face was a stark contrast to Sanghyuk’s easy humor. 

“We know better than to run ourselves ragged,” she said, her long tail nervously flicking behind her.

Without a word, Sanghyuk held out his hand, palm open and waiting. The action left Hongbin confused for a moment, before turning back at the sound of Chungdoon’s wings flapping. The seagull gracefully soared over his head, crossing the room to hover just above Sanghyuk’s.

Chungdoon deposited the pen in Sanghyuk’s hand, giving the boy a knowing look before shifting into a small finch and landing daintily on his shoulder.

Hongbin stared at the two, wide eyed. His tired mind was struggling to process the waves of amusement oozing from both Sanghyuk and his daemon. 

With a smile, Sanghyuk leisurely crossed the room and grabbed Hongbin’s wrist, gently tugging him in the direction of their bedrooms. Hongbin didn’t put up any resistance, instinctively following.

“No witty comment?” Sanghyuk teased. “Geeze, you’re out of it.”

It took Hongbin a moment for his words to register. “You,” he mumbled, “you shut up.”

Sanghyuk stopped just short of Hongbin’s bed, turning back to stare at him.

Haebit made a small noise of alarm as she instantly shifted into some type of large cat and, using her larger frame, began to shove Hongbin in the direction of his bed. “Sleep,” she growled. “Now.”

The next few minutes were a blur as Hongbin was firmly, but carefully, heaved into bed.

He could already feel himself starting to nod off, the familiar weight of the blankets and feathery softness of the pillow making him unconsciously relax. It was tempting, so very tempting, to give into the comfort that his body was craving. But Hongbin was a stubborn soul; he still had so much to do, sleeping could wait.

He moved, intending to throw the covers off, but froze when he saw gray fur enter his line of sight.

Haebit’s feline form curled up against him, happily resting her heavy head on his stomach. He could feel – and hear – the soft rumble of her body as she purred. Hongbin’s brows shot into his bangs, unable to hide his surprised at the contact. 

Between Haebit and Sanghyuk, the daemon had always been the more tactile one. She was always willing to snuggle with the other daemons and had no qualms about teasingly brushing up against the other member’s legs to get their attention. It held true during their trainee days and still held true today, even though Sanghyuk and Haebit insisted they were too old for extensive cuddling now. 

So, the fact that she was all too willing to curl up against him meant that she, and by extension _Sanghyuk_ , must have been deeply disturbed by Hongbin’s sorry state. 

Still, he knew mentioning it up would only make them deny it. “You’re awfully cuddly today,” he said instead, bringing a hand to rest behind Haebits ear, ruffling the thick fur.

She shifted, allowing more of her weight to rest on him.“You’re being stupid,” she muttered in response. “You’re tired. You need to rest.”

“Hae I’m—“

“ _Rest_ ,” Haebit insisted. “I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but you’re needlessly exhausting yourself.” She paused, turning into his hand as it began to stroke behind her ear. The slow, repetitive motion caused her entire demeanor to melt back into the soft, deep-set worry from before.

She heaved a heavy sigh. “Please,” she said, whisper soft, ears flattening and whiskers sagging. “Please. Just stop.”

Hongbin didn’t say anything. The only sounds were Sanghyuk’s hushed whispers to Hongbin’s daemon and the creak of Hongbin’s desk chair as Sanghyuk’s weight settled into it.

“Ok,” Chungdoon said, just as quietly as Haebit. He was still on Sanghyuk’s shoulder, though now he was buried under the collar of his shirt, tiredly snuggling into the warm skin of the human’s neck. His eyes were half-lidded, dazed and sleepy. “We’ll stop.”

Sanghyuk hummed, slightly tilting his head so his cheek could brush against downy feathers. Chungdoon let out an exhausted, but content hum.

The same feelings flooded Hongbin’s senses; it was just what he needed to completely give in to the bone-deep exhaustion. His petting began to slow, his arm feeling heavier and heavier. Eventually, his hand simply rested against Haebit’s head, fingers slightly digging in her fur. Hongbin felt her sandpaper-like tongue sweep across wrist as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

 

+++++

 

Wonshik and Cheol found them sometime later, having been sent by Taekwoon to collect them for dinner.

Wonshik couldn’t resist the little smile that broke across his face as he saw a peacefully sleeping Hongbin curled around Haebit, face buried in her fur. Cheol lovingly nosed at Sanghyuk’s thigh as the youngest dozed on the desk, Chungdoon still nesting against him.

 

+++++

 

“So is it just me, or has Doonie been sticking to bird forms lately?”

Hongbin was so engrossed in his textbook that it took him a few moments to realize that he was being spoken too. “What?”

Sprawled out on the couch opposite of him, playing whatever mobile game he was obsessing over for the week, Jaehwan rolled his eyes, the action mirrored by Hongsoo as he curled up on Jaehwan’s chest. “I asked if you’ve noticed that Chungdoon seems to be taking a liking to bird forms?”

Hongbin gave him an incredulous look. “Hyung, I’m so deep in final exam hell right now that he could have taken the form of a hippo and I wouldn’t have noticed.”

Chungdoon, who had been happily perched on his shoulder, now a hawk, condescendingly ruffled his feathers.

Hongbin felt his daemon’s annoyance echo through their bond. It was immediately followed by sarcastic amazement at the fact Hongbin had acknowledged his general existence.

Hongbin rolled his eyes so hard he was surprised they didn’t fall out of his head. “I get enough grief from Sanghyuk and Haebit. I don’t need it from you too,” he griped.

 

+++++

 

Final exams were torture methods derived from the 7th circle of hell itself and no one could ever convince Hongbin otherwise.

Hongbin let out a loud, mournful groan. His face was firmly planted within the depths of his pillows. He’d already had three exams over the last two days and he swore his brain was starting to turn into mush.

“Someone please put me out of my misery,” he said despairingly. “Death would be preferable to this.” 

Chungdoon looked at him with sympathy. The little nightingale nuzzled into his neck. “If it makes you feel better, you’ve only got three more tomorrow,” he said.

The groan Hongbin let out was even louder and more pained than before.

 

+++++

 

It was about a week and half later when final scores were posted.

Surprisingly, it was Chungdoon’s shrieks of delight that proceeded to scare the shit out of everyone in the dorm.

 

+++++

 

The ceremony itself had gone off without a hitch.

Well, except for the part where Jiho almost missed his own graduation, of course.

Hongbin grinned. Yeah, he wasn’t going to let Jiho live that one down. Ever. (Neither would Chungdoon; if the way he’d playfully preened Jiho’s husky daemon was anything to go by.)

Still, graduating felt, kinda nice, if he could be honest.

Ok, maybe that was a bit of an understatement, considering all the sleepless nights and near mental breakdowns he’d held off to get the stupid piece of paper proudly displaying his name and degree.

He felt accomplished, proud. It was that soft, warm feeling of a longtime goal finally being realized and Hongbin reveled in it.

It made him think, really seriously think, about just how far he’d come.

And he was happy.

He had friends and a wonderful family that loved and supported him. And he knew he could go to them for anything.

He had the chance to pursue his dreams to become a singer and he succeeded. He was part of group that had carved its own special place within the industry, creating music with a sound that no one else could imitate and putting on performances that took people’s breaths away.

He’d grown as a person too. From the quiet, shy little boy that could barely hold a conversation to the exuberant, clever man who could smile so much more openly.

So yeah, Hongbin could say he was definitely happy with where he was right now. He loved his life – he loved the people in I – and he couldn’t wait for the future.

Honestly?

He couldn’t have wished for anything better.

 

+++++

 

That night, Hongbin returned to the dorm still riding the post-graduation high.

The others couldn’t blame him. You only graduated college once after all, and Hongbin had put in so much time and effort into it, he deserved to indulge in the high for a while.

“Lucky you,” Sanghyuk told him later. “You’ve escaped the hell that is the educational system.”

“Don’t worry Hyukkie,” he’d said, patting the younger on the back with a grave expression. “You’ll escape too, someday.”

When the high had eventually worn off, Hongbin couldn’t hold back the quiet excitement at finally have a decent night’s sleep. In fact, it was the first good night’s sleep he’d had in a very long time.

As he slept, he dreamed. He dreamt of the roaring applause as he walked across the stage, carefully taking the diploma that he had worked tirelessly for. He dreamt of his family and friends and members in the front rows, their cheers louder than anyone else in the auditorium and beaming smiles adorning their faces.

He dreamt of sharp talons and of tawny feathers bleeding into hues of golden orange, of large eyes looking back at his. And they were proud, so very proud. 

It was the most wonderful dream he’d had in months.

 

+++++

 

He could feel it as he woke up.

Something was different. Everything felt more solid, more stable somehow. He couldn’t really explain it. There was just this feeling over overwhelming rightness that washed over him and he basked in it.

The dull flap of wings caught his attention however. Along with the Chungdoon’s playful voice calling him awake.

Hongbin reluctantly uncurled from his cocoon of blankets, momentarily regretting his decision as he sat up. The blankets pooled around his waist, the exposure to the cool morning air made him shiver.

“Come on.” He felt Chungdoon’s wing wrap around his side, Hongbin leaned into it. “It’s not that cold, you big baby.”

“Says the one with the built in feather blanket.” Voice still croaky and hoarse from disuse, Hongbin rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, trying to get his mind to fully awaken. “What time is it?”

“Late. That’s for sure. Kkomae-hyung thought you all deserved the chance to sleep in after last night.”

Hongbin hummed in the back of his throat, still trying to get himself together. “Well, you only gradate once, I guess.”

Chungdoon chirped happily. “Look at you, college graduate. I’m so proud.”

“Shut up,” he groaned, finally feeling a little more alert. He turned to Chungdoon, ready to fire more witty remarks and froze.

“Oh my god.” It was the only thing Hongbin could process.

At least it explained why he’d woken up feeling so much more at ease than he’d felt in weeks.

Chungdoon stood proud, coming to just above his waist. Still, despite his small size, the avian’s head rose high as he showed off his golden orange feathers. His big amber eyes glittered with excitement as his powerful talons flexed against the bed sheets.

“Oh my _god_.”

“Is that all you’re going to say?”

“ _Oh my god._ ”

“My name is Chungdoon. But ok, whatever you say.”

That broke Hongbin out of his stupor, choosing instead to glare balefully at his daemon, his newly settled daemon.

“You just had to ruin the moment didn’t you?”

“You know very well that I have zero tolerance for mushiness.”

“Sure,” Hongbin huffed, blowing his sandy blond bangs out of his eyes. He was going to have to get that pink redone, he thought absently. He still so horribly overwhelmed.

Chungdoon gracefully flew up to Hongbin; the sunlight coming through the window bounced of his feathers and seemingly made them glow as he settled happily on his shoulder. He was just the right size, not too big or too small.

“Come on, let’s go figure out what I am. That way we can harass all the others into guessing.”

Hongbin grinned, dimples on full display as he grabbed his phone and pulled up the Internet browser. “You are devious.”

“I’m you,” Chungdoon replied immediately, flatly. It was silly to ever think otherwise. “Of course, I am, we are.”

Hongbin gave an approving hum. He then turned his attention to his phone, starting their search by bringing up a list of bird species. “So,” he nudged at Chungdoon’s wing with his chin, “how about we start with owls, hm?”

 

+++++

 

Later that morning, the dorm was filled with the joyful screams of his group mates as he informed them of his daemon’s now permanent form.

“You did it Kong!” Wonshik wailed, attaching himself to Hongbin’s side like an oversized barnacle. “You and Doonie did it!”

Jaehwan latched onto his opposite side, laughing gleefully. “Our little Bin is all grown up!” He sniffed, “I’m so happy I could cry.”

Hongbin smiled so hard he could feel his cheeks ache. Their enthusiasm was as contagious as it was overwhelming. The rest of them stood to the side, all of them highly amused at Wonshik and Jaehwan’s antics.

“We’re proud of you,” Taekwoon said, smiling his rare toothy smile. Moojigae chirped, singing a happy little tune that showed her and Taekwoon’s excitement more than words could. 

“You said Chungdoon’s a Philippine Scops owl, right?” Sanghyuk said incredulously, tilting his head as he chuckled. “How pretentious of you, hyung.”

Hongbin smirked, shaking himself out of Wonshik and Jaehwan’s loving octopus holds. The youngest member’s playful teasing was obvious to his ears. “You’re just jealous that Chungdoon settled into something cool.”

Sanghyuk said nothing, little smile still in place and choosing to simply raise an eyebrow, the very picture of poise and calm. 

Of course Haebit completely gave him away, practically beside herself with excitement. She and Hongsoo scampered around Chungdoon, nipping at his wings and swatting at his tail feathers. The owl playful retaliated by swiping at them with his wings. He let out a delighted hoot each time he made contact.

Eventually though, Chungdoon tired of their little game. With a final swipe he rose into the air, just high enough to be out of their reach.

“Hey!” Hongsoo squawked.

Chungdoon ignored him, choosing instead to fly across the room and perch on Cheol’s back. The canine woofed softly – appreciatively – as he nosed at the owl’s golden feathers, Chungdoon wallowed at the attention. 

Hongbin was so taken to watching them that he startled slightly when he felt something big and heavy push against his leg.

Jindallae nuzzled against his hand. “I’m so proud of you,” she said. “The both of you.”

Something tender and warm grew in Hongbin’s chest at her words. He bent down, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her fur.

He hadn’t cuddled her like this since his trainee days. Back when he was still young and unsure, when she and Hakyeon were the only things stopping him from giving up when it felt like it was all too much.

She still gave off the same feelings of quiet security and unending affection that he remembered.

“Thanks Dallae,” he whispered, for her ears only. He giggled lowly at the feeling of a scratchy tongue against his cheek and the soft rumble of her purrs. “It means a lot from you.”

An insulted scoff followed. Hongbin rolled his eyes. “And Hakyeon-hyung too, I guess.”

“Ah, watch it brat,” Hakyeon said, voice serious though his eyes twinkled teasingly.

“You’re just jealous I like Dallae more than you.”

“Rude.” Hakyeon gasped, scandalized. “I’ve clothed you. Fed you. Even put a roof over your head. And this is how you repay me?”

Hongbin frowned, pulling away from the immensely amused feline. “But you never—“

“Picture time!” Sanghyuk interrupted, Haebit bounding at his side.

Hongbin let out a startled grunt as he was pulled into the younger’s playful headlock. The others gathered around them, throwing out their best poses. Wonshik pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a picture.

Hongbin blinked.

“Awww. Binnie you look so cute,” Wonshik cooed, tilting the screen so the others could see. Hakyeon made similar noises of approval as Taekwoon and Sanghyuk snickered at the lost and confused expression on Hongbin’s face.

“Hey! I’m the cute one around here,” Jaehwan grumbled, pouting. Wonshik responded with an adoring smile and a quick neck squeeze.

Hakyeon pulled out his own phone, a hopeful gleam to his eyes as he looked at Hongbin. “How about one more, hmm? Just you and Doon.”

It took a few seconds for Hongbin to register that he was being spoken too. “Uh, yeah.” He snapped out of his surprised daze with a quick shake of his head and smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I’d really like that.”

Hongbin held his arm out and Chungdoon immediately took flight. He crossed the room with a grace that only his species could attain, and landed on Hongbin’s arm with a prideful tilt to his head.

There was no need for words. Hongbin could feel Chungdoon’s excitement and pride. He couldn’t hold back the bright, dimpled smile that stretched across his face.

He looked back at Hakyeon. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Hakyeon nodded, holding up the phone. “Smile!”

 

+++++

 

Hongbin scrolled through his twitter feed about a week later, smiling softly at the waves of excitement and congratulations that were still being sent his way.

After some debate, Hongbin and Chungdoon had both decided to let the public know about the daemon’s settling before promotions officially began. Of course, that meant they had to figure out how they would go about it.

Surprisingly, it was Taekwoon who suggested they do a mock photo shoot. It would not only give Hongbin some nice pictures to show off, he’d said, but they could have some fun while doing it too.

So, they’d pulled out a spare bed sheet, grabbed some flashlights and set up everything up in their living room. Hongbin walked them through some of the more advanced features on his camera and they’d spent the next few hours going wild.

Hongbin was pretty sure he’d never seen so many camera flashes in his life. They gave their fansites a run for their money.

But, in the end he’d gotten a ton of rather decent looking photos, if could say so himself. He and Chungdoon cherry picked a few of their favorites, uploaded them to Twitter, and sat back and watched as the flood of mentions and unintelligible screaming began pouring in.

Hongbin grinned mischievously as he read message after message. Don’t get him wrong; he loved their fans. But it was so much _fun_ to mess with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hongbin's daemon has finally settled! I took into account some of the suggestions and ideas you guys threw out and decided on Chungdoon settling as a Philippine Scops Owl. They're absolutely beautiful creatures and, adding in the symbolism of owls being incredibly clever animals, I thought it would be fitting.
> 
> Let me know what you guys thought! Did you like the choice or did you guys maybe have something else in mind? I'd love to know.

**Author's Note:**

> So to recap:
> 
> Hakyeon - Jindallae, name meaning "Azalea," snow leopard  
> Taekwoon - Moojigae, name meaning "Rainbow," blue jay  
> Jaehwan - Hongsoo, name meaning "Flood," sea otter  
> Wonshik - Cheol, name meaning "Iron," St. Bernard  
> Hongbin - Chungdoon, name meaning "Thunder," not settled  
> Sanghyuk - Haebit, name meaning "Sunlight," not settled
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the choices for their daemons. These are my personal thoughts, but I'd love to see what other people think too!


End file.
